Method of closing sheet metal containers



Sept. 3, 1946. H. SCHRADER 1 METHQJS OF CLOSING SHEET METAL CONTAINERS:

Original Filed May 28, 1940 WIIIII Patented Sept. 3, 1946 METHOD FCLOSING SHEET METAL CONTAINERS Herbert Schrader, Wheeling, W. Va.,assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Original application May 28, 1940, Serial No.

337,696, now Patent No. 2,338,013, dated December 28, 1943. Divided andthis application December 2, 1943, Serial No. 512,606

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to a sheet metal container of the type shown anddescribed in my application Serial No. 337,696, filed May 28, 1940, nowPatent No. 2,338,013, patented December 28, 1943, for Sheet metalcontainers, of which the present application is a division.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of attaching a closureend of a metal container to the container body so as to produce a tightseal connection between the body and the end.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of connecting aclosure end to a con tainer body wherein the closure end can be priedloose from the container body when it is desired to open the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view showing in vertical section a container body and aclosure member therefor which is to be attached to the container body bythe improved method;

Figure 2 is a detail showing in vertical section th container body andthe closure member assembled preparatory to the closing of the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail showing the first step in the method ofsecuring the closure end to the container body;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the curling roll ashaving formed a hollow bead in the flange of the closure end and ashaving placed said bead so as to secure the end to the closure body insealed relation thereto;

Figure 5 is a detail in section showing the end attached to the body;and

Figure 6 is a similar view showing a tool applied for removing the endfrom the body without cutting or rupturing the metal parts.

The container which is closed with the improved method includes a bodyportion l to which a bottom end 2 is secured by a double seam 3. Thebody wall at the upper end thereof is rolled outwardly and downwardlyinto a hollow bead 4, the end of the body wall bein brought into contactwith the outer wall of the body. The container is closed by a closuremember 5 which has a depression formed therein surrounded by a verticalwall 6. The closure member has a depending skirt 1 which is spaced awayfrom the vertical wall 6 so as to provide a channel 8 which fits overthe bead 4 on the container body. The vertical wall 6 is of sufficientlength so that when the closure member 5 is placed in the container bodyas shown in Fig. 2, said vertical wall will extend below the bead 4.Located inthe channel 8 is a sealing material 9. The closure end 5 has aflange l0 projecting outwardly from the skirt 1, which flangeis-upturned as indicated at I I.

After the container end has been placed in the container body, then achuck i2 is placed in the depression in the container end and this chuckwill force the closure end 5 down into the container body so as to causethe sealing material to contact with the hollow bead 4 and provide atight seal between the closure end and the body. After the container hasbeen chucked, then a curling roll I3 is brought into contact with theflange Ill. Said curling roll has a groove M formed therein whichcontacts with the curled upper portion l f the flange of the closuremember, and as this roll l3 moves around the chuck, it willprogressively roll th flange l0 into a hollow bead l5 and force saidhollow bead into contact with the bead 4, drawing the metal tightlyaround the bead 4. It will be noted in Fig. 4 that the end of the bodywall forming the bead 4 contacts with the wall of the container andforms a rigid abutment so that during the form ,ing of the bead !5, themetal will be drawn around the bead 4 as noted, and this will cause thesealing material 9 to spread out and seal the joint between the closureand the container body. The tight seal is obtained by cooperative actionof the chuck which presses the closure end into tight engagement withthe sealing material and the curling roll which, as it forms the beadl5, draws the metal around the bead 4. This drawing of the metal by thecurling roll is accomplished because of the fact that the curling rollmoves in toward the body wall of the container in a plane which is atright angles to the body wall.

When the container end is finally secured in sealing relation to thcontainer body, the bead I5 is still spaced away from the wall of thecontainer body and therefore a tool which is shown at I6 in Fig. 6 maybe inserted between the bead l5 and the body wall for prying the beadoutward until it is completely released from the container. The closureend during the removal is slightly reformed, but is not cut or destroyedin any way so that it may be readily used as a reclosure for thecontainer.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A method of closing and sealing sheet metal containers consisting inrolling the body wall of the container outwardly, inwardly and upwardlyinto a hollow bead, forming a closure with a central depressionsurrounded by a vertical wall and a continuous unbroken depending skirtoffset from the vertical wall to receive a gasket and the bead on thecontainer body, said skirt being of greater length than the diameter ofthe bead and having a laterally projecting flange at the lower edgethereof, placing the closure member on the container body and while saidgasket is 4 firmly pressed against the bead applying a curling roll tothe flange of the closure and progressively rolling the flange into abead and forcing a portion of said bead as it is formed beneath the 5hollow bead on the body wall.

HERBERT SCI-IRADER.

